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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Celebrating 150 years of the Romanian Crown

On Tuesday, 10 May 2016, the House of His Majesty King Michael I of Romania held a series of events in Bucharest and Sinaia to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Romanian Crown.

In 2016, the Royal Family celebrates the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Carol I in Romania, the founding of the Royal Dynasty, and the promulgation of the 1866 Constitution.

At half past ten, there was a military ceremony, at which floral wreaths were laid at the Statue of King Carol I in Bucharest’s Royal Palace Square. The soldiers of the Michael the Brave Thirtieth Regimental Guard presented arms and the regimental band played. In attendance were Crown Princess Margareta the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Prince Radu, Princess Elena, Mr Alexander Philips Nixon (the husband of Princess Elena), Princess Sofia, and Archduchess Maria-Magdalena of Austria, the daughter of Princess Ileana of Romania.

At twenty past one on the terrace of the Peleș Royal Castle in Sinaia, a ceremony was held, at which the Royal Standard was raised on the flagpole of the castle tower. On 10 May 2016, the Royal Standard was flown from the castle for the first time since 1947. The ceremony was attended by the staff of the House of His Majesty the King from the Elisabeta Palace and Săvîrșin Castle, the Band of the National Ministry of Defence, the staff of the Peleș National Museum, and guests of the Royal Family who had arrived from abroad to celebrate the 150-year Jubilee. The Royal Standard was raised on the arrival of Crown Princess Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown. In attendance were Prince Radu, Princess Elena, Mr Alexander Philips Nixon, Princess Sofia, Princess Maria, and Archduchess Maria-Magdalena of Austria.

During the course of the afternoon, the traditional Garden Party and Gala Concert were held in the royal park of Peleș Castle.

Entrance was free of charge to all those who wished to be together with the Royal Family to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Romania’s Royal House.

The Army Orchestra gave a wonderful concert, which was listened to with pleasure by the thousands of people gathered on the castle terrace and the lawn of the royal park.

In the Italian Room, the Moorish Room and the Florentine Room, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Margareta, Prince Radu, Princess Elena, Princess Sofia and Princess Maria, together with Mr Alexander Philips Nixon and Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria, met leading figures from cultural, scientific and educational life, important representatives of civil society, the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, the Mosaic Religion, and the Islamic Religion, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps.

At six o’clock, the Royal Family went out onto the castle balcony to greet those gathered for the anniversary. The Royal Anthem was sung. Three aeroplanes of the Aerobatic Yakers flew over the royal park.

Half an hour later, the Gala Concert began. The musicians performed on an open-air stage on the castle terrace. Images of the concert were shown on two large screens for the benefit of those on the lawn.

The concert was given by an expanded Royal Chamber Orchestra, whose guests were conductor Tiberiu Soare, violinist Remus Azoiței, and tenor Teodor Ilincăi.

The repertoire included First Rhapsody by Georges Enesco, Ballad by Ciprian Porumbescu, Torna a Surriento by Ernesto de Curtis, The Waves of the Danube by Josif Ivanovich, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns, O, sole mio, by Eduardo di Capua, Hora Staccato by Grigoras Dinicu, Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, and The Royal Anthem by Eduard Hübsch.

The Royal Family listened to the concert from the terrace of Peleș Castle.

Romanians from all over the country and from the Republic of Moldova were in attendance. Leading figures from Spain, Great Britain, Switzerland, Serbia, Russia, the United States of America, Germany, and Austria were also present.

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All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published without the prior approval of Marlene A. Koenig. You can, however, provide a link to the blog or to a post on the blog. Please credit Marlene A Koenig and Royal Musings. Thanks

Sources

The sources consulted for this blog include the New York Times, the Chicago Daily Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and The Times. I also consult books and other materials in my personal library. All the photos come from my personal collection, unless other noted.